Nasal respirator



Sept. 29, 1936. H. J. WEAVER 2,055,855

NASA-L RESPIRATCR Filed Feb. 25, 1955 Patented Sept. 29, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in nasal respirators and particular to that type of nasal respirator which is inserted and retained in the,

nostrils.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is readily altered in dimensions and contour to fit nostrils of different size and shape.

Another object is to provide, in the device,

means to firmly hold it in place with minimum pressure, to the end that it may be worn without discomfort.

Another object is to provide means whereby the filtering medium employed in the respirator may be removed and renewed expeditiously.

That these and other objects and meritorious features are attained will be readily apparent from a consideration of the description and drawing. In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sheetmetal blank from which the frame of the respirator is made.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank for the retainer which holds the filtering medium in the frame.

end view, and vertical cross section respectively of the frame made from the blank Fig. 1.

Figs. '7, 8, and 9 each is top, front, and end view of the retainer made from the blank Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section thru the completed device with the filtering material in place.

Character numerals refer to the same parts thruout the several views.

The sheet metal blank ll comprises two strips l2 connected by a bridge H. The strips l2 are arcuate except for the segmental infiexions IS in the edges.

Prongs l6 extend oppositely from the concave 40 sides of the arcuate portions. Two small but sharp indentations l8 are pressed in the metal preferably at the time the blank is cut.

The sheet metal blank comprises two pairs of oppositely extending prongs 22 connected by a 45 bridge 24. The bridge 24 is preferably slightly wider'over the dimension 25 than the bridge l4.

Extending oppositely between each pair of prongs 22 is a short tang 26. The purposes of and the reason for the configuration of the blanks ll and 20 will hereinafter appear.

Resilient sheet metal should be used for the blanks II and 20. It should, however, be sufficiently pliable to permit initial bending to the form shown and subsequent slight hand bending in fitting the device to individual wearers.

Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 each is top view, front view,

Aside from the resiliency of the metal, it is highly important that it be of a kind which is non corrosive" as well as non toxic. A metal having these properties in the greatest measure is tantalum which is preferably employed, altho there are other usable materials which possess these qualities to a high degree.

The frame 28, Figs. 3 to 6, is made by bending the arcuate portions l2 of the blank II to compose tapered oval thimbles as. at 30, and by bending the bridge M to compose a yoke 32 connecting of the nose without pinching, since the septum is always the thickest part of the partition separating the two nostrils and second, to provide a member over which the retainer shown in Figs. 7 to 9 may be sprung for the purpose of holding the retainer snugly to the frame.

The prongs I6 are bent over the upper open sides of the ovalthimbles to form a grid which will prevent the filtering material from moving upwardly.

The ends of the arcuate portions l2 of the blank overlap at 3| in the oval thimbles 30, in order that these thimbles may be made larger or smaller to fit the individuals nostrils. The segmental inflexions l 5 of the blank I I appear at the upper edge of the thimbles 30 at one end of the oval as at 33 and are provided for the purpose of clearing the inferior meatus to insure free respiration.

' The retainer 34, Figs. '7 to 9, is formed by bending the blank 20, Fig. 2, to compose'the U shaped yoke 36 having two grids each composed of a pair of the retaining prongs 22 extending oppositely. The tangs 26 are bent so as to point toward each other at the upper open side of the U.

' When it is desired to assemble the retainer 34 and the frame 28 together, as in Fig. 10, the two the prongs 22 obstructs the under side of the 55 openings of the thimble so slightly but suiiicient ly to prevent the filtering material 31 from falling out. a

The filtering material 31 with which the thimbles 30 are preferably filled is lambs wool altho other materials may be used with somewhat less effect. The wool is preferred because of the fact that it has very little tendency to mat together when it becomes moistened, lends itself readily to medication, and has good mechanical straining properties.

Lambs wool is now commercially obtainable for nasal filtering, but is provided in the form of slugs intended to be inserted directly into the nostrils. The difiiculty, however, in using lambs wool in this manner is first, that it must be packed relatively close to provide a slug which will hold itself in the nostril, and second, that the contact of the lambs wool directly with the membrane in the nostrils is in itself irritating.

It will therefore be seen that it is important in the device herein shown that means are provided for holding small quantities of the wool in a fiufiy, spread apart manner and out of contact ,with the membranes, yet so holding them that they will neither be drawn upward nor blown out by the respiratory function.

When it becomes advisable to change the wool in the thimbles 30, the thimbles are pressed toward each other with the thumb and forefinger of one hand and the yoke 36 is grasped on the edge of the metal strip with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand whereby the retainer 34 is removed, the soiled wool removed, new wool inserted, and the retainer put back in place as heretofore described.

It will now be apparent why the bridge 25 is wider over the dimension 25 than the bridge M, for, if the dimension 25 were the same in both bridges, then pressure of the thumb and forefinger on the edges of the metal strip of the yoke 36 would also grasp the yoke 32. It will be understood that the retainer 34 cannot be readily removed by grasping the yoke 36 over the sides of the U since this springs the yoke 36 and causes it to all the more tightly fit the yoke 32 from which it is being removed.

When adjusting the thimbles 30 to the individual, a size respirator slightly larger than required is preferably chosen and then the thimble pressed with thumb and forefinger across the long dimension of the ovals until they take a permanent set, such as will fit with just a very slight degree of dilation of the nostrils. The spread between the thimbles may also be adjusted by slightly altering the spread of the U shaped yokes 32 and 36.

I am aware that respirators of somewhat similar nature have heretofore been employed, and I therefore claim only the improved features of the device, such as the features which render it easily fitted to the individual which make it comfortable in use, which facilitate the renewal of the filtering medium, etc.

Having described an embodiment of my invention, I claim,

1. In a nasal respirator, the combination of two frustro-conical upwardly tapering thimbles of elliptical contour comprising two arouate sheet metal strips each having its ends overlapping, an

integral U shaped yoke joining the thimbles at their lower edges opposite the points of over- 19.12, the upper ends of the U being drawn closer together at the point of juncture with the thimbles, a grid comprising two integral prongs extending across the upper open ends of each thimble, adapted to retain a small quantity of lambs wool having the fibers disposed in a fiufiy, spaced apart manner within each thimble, a wool retaining means comprising a U shaped yoke fitted to and sprung over the first said yoke, said second yoke being formed of a strip wider than the first said yoke, a second grid comprising two integral outwardly turned prongs extending from the upper ends of the second said yoke across the lower open ends of each said thimble, and inwardly turned tangs at the upper end of the second said yoke extending into appropriately positioned indentations at the upper ends of the first said yoke.

2. The combination in a nasal respirator, of two frustro-conical upwardly tapering oval thimbles, comprising two arcuate sheet metal strips each having its ends overlapping, an integral U shaped yoke joining the thimbles at their lower edges opposite the points of overlap, the upper ends of the U being drawn closer together at the point of juncture with the thimbles, a pronged grid extending across the upper open ends of each thimble, adapted to retain a small volume of fibrous material having the fibers disposed in a fiufiy, spaced apart manner within each thimble, a retaining means comprising a U shaped yoke spring fitted over the first said yoke, said second yoke being formed of a strip wider than the first said yoke, a pronged grid extending from the upper ends'of the second said yoke across the lower open ends of each said thimble, and gripping means at the upper ends of the second said yoke cooperating with appropriately positioned gripping means at the upper ends of the first said yoke.

3. A nasal respirator comprising, in combination, two oval thimbles composed of two sheet metal strips each having it'sends overlapping, an integral U shaped yoke joining the thimbles at their lower edges opposite the points of overlap, the upper ends of the U'being drawn closer together at the point of juncture with the thimbles, said thimbles being adapted to contain fibrous filtering material, grids extending across the tops of said thimbles to obstruct the passage of the filtering material upwardly therethru, a removable retaining means comprising a U shaped yoke sprung over the first said yoke, said second yoke being formed of a strip wider than the first said yoke, and grids carried at the upper ends of the second said yoke extending across the bottoms of v the thimbles to obstruct the passage of the filtering material downwardly therethru.

4. A nasal respirator comprising two oval thimbles of thin sheet metal open at the tops and bottoms, an integral U,shaped yoke joining adjacent points at the lower edges of said thimbles, said thimbles being adapted to contain'a' filtering medium, means on the tops of said thimbles to keep the said filtering medium from rising upwardly, a removable retainer comprising a U shaped yoke fitted over the first said yoke and carrying means at the upper ends to keep said filtering medium from passing downwardly out of the bottoms of said thimbles, and clamping means carried at the upper ends of the second said yoke to engage appropriate clamping means at the upper ends of the first said yoke.

5. In a nasal respirator, a frame comprising means extending across the tops of said thimbles to keep said filtering material from passing out.

the tops of the thimbles, and a retainer comprising obstructing means for the opening in the bottom of each thimble held together by a second yoke extending downwardly from one obstructing means and back up to the other, and clamping means on said retainer engaging corresponding clamping means on said frame.

6. In a nasal respirator, a pair of thimbles open 10 at tops and bottoms held spaced apart to nostril widthby a connecting means, means at the top of each thimble restricting 'Iree passage therethru, means at the bottom of each-thimble restricting free passage therethru said means at the bottom being joined together by a second connecting means, and a clamping means carried by both connecting meansto hold the said means at the bottom in place.

HARRISON J. WEAVER. 

